1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video apparatus and a method for controlling the same, and more particularly to a video apparatus and a method for controlling the same which facilitate unified management of channel information of various broadcasting systems. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for enabling an user to select a channel provided via an external device by manipulating only the video apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, broadcasting systems including terrestrial broadcasting system, satellite broadcasting system, cable broadcasting system and the like become diversified and they are abruptly spreading to use. Yet, since the terrestrial broadcasting system, satellite broadcasting system, cable broadcasting system and the like differ from one another in frequency bands, a satellite broadcast tuner and/or cable broadcast tuner and the like should be separately provided to enable a user to receive the various broadcasts. In particular, an external device having a broadcast tuner and/or a cable broadcast tuner should be separately provided as well as a video device having a built-in terrestrial broadcast tuner.
A video device according to a related art is explained with reference to the attached drawing as follows.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital video device having an external device for a different broadcast reception according to a related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a digital video device according to a related art includes a tuner 20 for seeking a channel selected by a user according to a broadcast signal received via an antenna 10. A video signal, an audio signal, channel information and the like of the channel sought by the tuner are parsed by a TP parser 30. The audio and video signals parsed by the TP parser 30 are decoded by an audio decoder 40 and a video decoder 50, respectively. The decoded audio signal is converted to an analog signal by D/A converter 50, while the decoded video signal is processed into a screen-displayable signal through an NTSC encoder 70. The channel information parsed by the TP parser 30 is stored in a memory 100, is processed into OSD-formatted information by an OSP processing unit 110, and is processed into a displayable signal through the NTSC encoder 70. A program for controlling various operations of the video device is stored in the memory 100 as well. A user can request a specific command via a user interface 80. And, a control unit 90 outputs a control signal for controlling an overall operation of the video device according to the command inputted through the user interface 80.
Yet, in the above-configured video device, since the channel information stored in the memory 100 is limited to terrestrial broadcast, channel information received by an external device can be displayed in an external device viewing mode only.
A channel operating method in a video device according to a related art is explained in detail with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 2 as follows.
Referring to FIG. 2, a user turns on a power of a video device and a power of an external device connected to the video device (S10). If the user attempts to obtain channel information of a broadcast received via the external device or to switch to a broadcast channel via the external device, a viewing mode is switched to a viewing mode corresponding to the external device (S20). If the user requests information of the broadcast channel via the external device (S30), the corresponding information is read from the external device (S40) and is then displayed on the video device (S50). Meanwhile, while it is switched to the viewing mode corresponding to the external device, if a specific channel of a broadcast received by the external device is selected using the channel information displayed on the external device or without displaying the channel information (s60), a broadcast signal corresponding to the specific channel is received from the corresponding external device (S7) to be outputted through the video device (S80).
Namely, if a user attempts to obtain information about broadcast channels received by the external device, the power of the external device should be turned on and the viewing mode corresponding to the external device should be selected.
If a user attempts to perform channel switching between broadcastings (e.g., terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, etc.), he could select a specific channel in a switched viewing mode only after having performed a key operation for switching to a viewing mode of a specific broadcasting from a current viewing mode on the condition that the power of the external device is turned on. Namely, it is inconvenient for a user to perform the viewing mode switching prior to the channel switching. Moreover, in case that the power of the corresponding external device is turned off, a user should perform one activity of turning on the external device and another activity of switching the viewing mode.